DJ,
Has he really tweaked his swing to allow more home runs?

Cardinals prospect Jordan Walker's mechanical tweaks unleash his potential in Memphis https://t.co/0M9M0YOjwH

— STL Cardinals News (@STLCardsNews) May 30, 2023

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Haven't been watching him really but it wouldn't be surprising.

It didn't take much. His swing is functionally and fundamentally sound. He just, IMO, needed to come 'around' a bit more as he starts his hands. He brings his hands straight at the zone and his wrists tend to drive straight down at impact.

I think if he'd be a little looser with his wrists and his top hand as he triggers, that would let that bat head naturally 'droop' a little as he starts to come forward. Then as he brings his top hand through, it's gonna put just a little higher trajectory on the bathead.

I don't really know that I've explained that very well, but the idea is to let gravity do a little heavy lifting for you early on in the process and then allow the rest of your natural swing mechanics to 'pull' things back into line in a manner that should create just a little more loft.

It's a slightly less extreme version of what Bonds did a long time ago where he started his ABs by almost pointing the knob of the bat forward in an attempt to create massive barrel whip as his hands came through the zone. Oh sure, Bonds was juiced to the gills, but he made a couple of fairly substantial swing changes that also unlocked a lot more power potential. His barrel took almost a circular path down around his body in a way that put him behind the plane of the pitch and allowed him to really stay phase with the pitch for a long time. It was almost straight out of the Ted Williams handbook from the 60s.

I don't think Walker can be expected to duplicate something that extreme because it requires insane hand-eye coordination and precise bio-mechanics to stay in phase like that. But I think he can make some small tweaks that will get him closer to it pretty easily.

He just as so damn much raw power that pretending like what he was doing was an acceptable path forward was silly. He's gotta unlock that or you've wasted an immense talent. That said, 2 homers over 15 games isn't anything close to what his raw power says he can do. The 5 doubles is more representative of that but honestly you'd like to see a swing change that makes that something more along the lines of 3 homers and 4 doubles. Get 8-10 of those doubles over the wall in any given year and you've gone from a nice player to a true middle of the order run producer.
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He said in a recent interview interview he stopped trying to elevate the ball because it was screwing him up so he went back to what he has always done. Not sure how that qualifies as a tweak to his swing.
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Then trade him.

If he's content being a 15-20 homer guy who can't play defense, deal him to the Indians for Gavin Williams and some change.

He isn't an impact player with his present approach. He won't even be a particularly decent player. If his best case scenario is Eric Hosmer (and that's absolutely the case on his present trajectory) deal him before his value collapses.
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Not arguing what his ceiling is with that approach but I think its funny that what he is saying is in direct conflict with what the article is trying to say.

And as far as impact, statistically the offense has been worse since he was sent down so there seemed to be some kind of positive impact.
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My immediate thought after reading his statements was "**** that guy". His entire stance here is that it's difficult to make positive changes so I'm not going to try to change.
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There wasn't.

Pure correlation.

He wasn't making a meaningful offensive contribution. He was just sucking up outs and occasionally sneaking grounders through.
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You think our fan base is deflated, look at the Oakland A’s. No one even tried to stop him.

This Oakland A’s fan ran out onto the field before the game in Oakland, went all the way around the bases, and NOBODY cared 🤣

pic.twitter.com/BjGyHe4eZI

— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) May 31, 2023

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Watching this team get carved up by 43-year-old Rich Hill on the ass end of a sweep is this entire season in a nutshell.
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At this point I’m ready to start shopping both Goldy and Arenado for some top pitching prospects. Put Baker at first and Gorman at third, move Edman back to the infield. We aren’t going anywhere either way, might as well go for some pitching upside.
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At this point I’m ready to start shopping both Goldy and Arenado for some top pitching prospects. Put Baker at first and Gorman at third, move Edman back to the infield. We aren’t going anywhere either way, might as well go for some pitching upside.
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Both have no trade clauses.
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It's not like they'll be going to the A's. Any team that would want them is going to be on the verge of contending at the very least.
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I’m sure they can see it’s a shitshow for the for the foreseeable future and they aren’t getting any younger.
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If Walker isn’t going to at least try to change his swing to get more loft on his 110mph off the bat, we should trade him while his value is at its highest.
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